List of firsts in Southeast Asia

The following are the first buildings of their type:

• First philatelic museum in Southeast Asia - Singapore Philatelic Museum ( Singapore, 19 August 1995)^[1]

• First international beauty pageant titleholder from Southeast Asia - Gemma Cruz-Araneta ( Philippines, 14 August 1964)
• First Muslim to win an international beauty pageant from Southeast Asia - Kevin Lilliana ( Indonesia, 14 November 2017)
• First Southeast Asia Country to own an international beauty pageant - ( Philippines, 2001)

• First university in Asia - University of Santo Tomas ( Philippines, 1611)^[2]
• First English medium school in Southeast Asia - Penang Free School ( Malaysia, 1816)^[3][4]
• First Asian and Southeast Asian to be admitted to Harvard University - Fe del Mundo ( Philippines, 1936) ^[5][6]

• First wind power farm in the region - Bangui Wind Farm ( Philippines, 20 June 2005)^[7]
• First nuclear power plant in the region - Bataan Nuclear Power Plant ( Philippines,1976)^[8]

• First Southeast Asian in space - Phạm Tuân ( Vietnam, 6 June 1980)^ ^[9]

• First Southeast Asian film to win Palme d'Or at Cannes - Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives ( Thailand, 2013)^[10]
• First Southeast Asian to win Best Actress at Cannes - Jaclyn Jose ( Philippines, 2016)^[11]
• First Southeast Asian to win Best Director at Cannes - Brillante Mendoza ( Philippines, 2009)^[12]
• First Southeast Asian to win Volpi Cup for Best Actor at Venice Film Festival - John Arcilla ( Philippines, 2021)^[13]

• First newspaper published in Southeast Asia - The Prince of Wales Island Gazette ( Malaysia, 1806)^[14]
• First commercial television broadcast - Alto Broadcasting System ( Philippines, 23 October 1953)^[15]
• First Southeast Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize - Carlos Rómulo ( Philippines, 1942)^[16]

• First Southeast Asian to win a Tony for Best Actress - Lea Salonga ( Philippines, 1991)^[17]

• First Southeast Asian to win a Grammy - Larry Ramos ( Philippines, 1963)^[18]
• First Southeast Asian act to be nominated at the Billboard Music Awards - SB19 ( Philippines, 2021)^[19]
• First Southeast Asian act to top a Billboard Chart - SB19, Hot Trending Songs Chart ( Philippines, 2021)^[20]

• First bank in Southeast Asia - El Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II (now Bank of the Philippine Islands) ( Philippines, 1 August 1851)^[21]
• First beer brewery in Southeast Asia - La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel ( Philippines, 29 September 1890)^[22]

• First Southeast Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize for Literature - Viet Thanh Nguyen ( Vietnam, 2016)

• First President of UN General Assembly from Asia and Southeast Asia - Carlos P. Rómulo ( Philippines, 1949)^[23]
• First elected female President in Asia and Southeast Asia - Maria Corazon Aquino ( Philippines, 1986)^[24]
• First recipient of Nobel Peace Prize from Southeast Asia - Technically: Lê Đức Thọ ( Vietnam, 1973), Officially: Aung San Suu Kyi ( Myanmar, 1991)

• First submarine assembled in Southeast Asia: KRI Alugoro (405) ( Indonesia, 2021)^[25]